''The roars created an ear-splitting cri de joie – the sort that probably erupted in Roman amphitheatres whenever a gladiator speared his opponent through the spleen with a javelin.

The House of Commons, over which such gloom has hung for the past three years that you could have mistaken it for the wretched Miss Havisham’s attic, finally blasted back to life.

Tory MPs thundered as Boris Johnson entered the chamber, plonking his great gorilla hulk down on the green benches with a thud. They exploded with exuberance when he spoke of his plans to make the United Kingdom ‘the greatest place on earth’.''

''Boris Johnson has ordered Royal Navy warships to escort British-flagged tankers through the Gulf after ripping up Theresa May's Iran policy. The Union Jack-flagged Stena Important was watched over by HMS Montrose today as the frigate imposed herself on the dangerous waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

The policy U-turn was announced on Mr Johnson's first full day as Prime Minister after Mrs May's government claimed it lacked the resources to protect ships.''

Boris is just what the UK needs. I just hope everyone gives him a chance to succeed. We have got the EU's balls in a vice now, the German's are brickin'it - they are going to regret treating us like a naughty school boy.

Right on TW and SFS Headline in the DT today about the PM's task . . .

To call the EU's bluff, Boris Johnson must grasp he is dealing with a bureaucratic psychopath

Writing of Johnson, ''such unpredictability is anathema to homo bureaucratus, that snarling, slow-witted behemoth in Brussels that Mr Johnson must take on. True to form, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, responded to our new PM with the contemptuous raising of a single legalistic eyebrow; in a communiqué to EU members, he rejected our PM’s “combative” request for “unacceptable” concessions.'' . . . . . . .

''No deal remains far more likely than a reopening of the Withdrawal Agreement. But the above approach at least maximises the possibility of last-minute concessions, if that is indeed what our new PM seeks. It is rumoured that the new mastermind of No 10, Dominic Cummings, relishes Russian novels. I suggest he spend the summer re-reading Solzhenitsyn and Sorokin; you don’t outwit bureaucracy by fighting it, but by pretending to play the game, while loosening the screws on the quiet.''

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a proven liar (IoM kippers, leave bus etc) but is a self obsessed opportunist. My worry is that he will throw a few billion quid at the country then when Brexit doesn't happen in October he will blame the EU and call an election. With the opposition impotent he has a fair chance of increasing his majority.

Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.Blaine Pascal

I'm really interested in how all the doom merchants - Hammond et all, will respond to all of Boris? There's talk of Rory Stewart leading some sort of fightback, but what sort of response will they now get in their own party? I see Johnson already got a 10% bounce in the polls and it's worth considering how Labour will respond?

They are now, sort of, holding a remain position, but Corbyn and McDonnell increasingly look like yesterdays men, especially sat opposite Boris ripping them to shreds in Parliament and if Labour MP's see their hopes of power slipping away, even with their contemptuous game of 'wait and see' over Corbyn and racism, they just might move to get rid of him, if possible, but then what? What's their stance on Brexit? The EU elections and Farage told both the Tories and Labour what awaits them if they don't deliver. The Tories and now Boris have moved on that, but Labour, apart from everything else, still have a huge racist cloud hanging over them (and some comments by senior Labourites to the diversity of Johnsons cabinet really are verging on racism. Basically equating some as being little more than Uncle Tom's), but if they still choose remain, I think Labour will suffer.

Yes, interesting times ahead for the UK in the next 3 to 6 months. I think BJ will call an election after a) the EU refuses to drop the backstop and b) MPs refuse to allow and No-deal Brexit. Who will win that election is anybody's guess. It could end up being a coalition government.

But who will lead Labour into that election? The Conservatives have a new leader, the LibDems have a new leader, and there's talk (again) of replacing Corbyn before the next general election. A 10% bounce for new Tory leader Johnson but polls suggest getting rid of Corbyn will give Labour a 5% lead over the Tories.

The Brexit Party have been quiet recently but once an election is called they will be in the public eye again. But will they be able to get any seats in Westminster? I hope so.

Alfie, yes that's what I think too. But for Labour to stand a chance they will need to replace Corbyn preferably with an electable alternative, Yvette Cooper? Then a policy change to become a Remain party with agreements made wirh Lib Dems, Greens and SNP in key constituencies. The election then becomes a quasi second referendum.

Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.Blaine Pascal

Alfie, yes that's what I think too. But for Labour to stand a chance they will need to replace Corbyn preferably with an electable alternative, Yvette Cooper? Then a policy change to become a Remain party with agreements made wirh Lib Dems, Greens and SNP in key constituencies. The election then becomes a quasi second referendum.

But you're assuming the election will take place before 31 October. That's pretty unlikely. Even arch enemy Grieve, a previous Attorney General, has said there is little that can be done to now halt Brexit.

And the chances are that there will be a deal, even if one isn't actually needed, or indeed a WA at all. The Germans are now facing 100k job losses as a result of a no deal and France 50k. The UK 12k.Ireland will get shafted again.

The YouGov poll in Wales shows Labour has the lowest support ever. Wales voted for Brexit. What can Labour do to change that? Promoting remain hardly seems the brightest of ideas.

It's early days, but the Tories, who lead the poll. but can't win the upcoming by-election, will go one of two way's, which is obvious - The Boris bounce will continue unabated or at some stage it will go into reverse. Unless he thinks that throughout the Country, he can win an election, thus naming a date before October 31, Boris can simply name the date after 31. Job done.

Another problem for Labour is that the Tories have stolen all their thunder on serious policy. What left is there for Labour to offer and who will trust them?

Even if Labour cobble together some form of Lib Dem / Green pact, that doesn't mean they will be fully supported by members of other parties and how will it work in practise, splitting up seats so an agreed party can not be hindered by one of their pact partners - but there's no guarantee that will be accepted by Joe Public. I would have thought many Lib-Dems would be horrified to be associated with a racist partner?

Anyway, it's all speculation and we'll all be redundant in a couple of months or so!

'Remainer' and European K-F's seem quiet lately - so in the interests of balance, here's a different take on Boris Johnson from John Oliver. Some of the criticism's are well founded - Boris is a lively and sometimes flawed character but IMO, he is not to be underestimated. A read of BJ's book, 'The Churchill Factor', reveals BJ has a considerable intellect with a first class grip of detail, contrary to some observations.

Despite that Yougov poll, having lived most of my life in Wales I can guarantee Labour would win if there is a general election, when push comes to shove I am sorry to say Wales will always be Labour..............sad.

If at first you don't succeed you are clearly not cut out for it. Give up and move on.

Despite that Yougov poll, having lived most of my life in Wales I can guarantee Labour would win if there is a general election, when push comes to shove I am sorry to say Wales will always be Labour..............sad.

I think the question is not that they will win, but how many seats will they get?